1 man slain in a field; another arrested by deputies

Upton left for Romania days later, his primary intent to get Elena out.

ABC News documented Upton’s efforts as he navigated the country’s red tape. He struggled to find many of the children’s birth parents, which was necessary for him to get them out of the country and to new homes in the United States.

Back in Olivenhain, he’d show San Diego couples video footage of his trips to the orphanage, and the hopeful parents would handpick children they’d like to adopt.

Upton succeed in getting dozens of the orphans adopted to U.S. families in the next few years. His efforts got the attention of influential activists, inspiring billionaire philanthropist Richard Branson, actress Jessica Lange and lawmakers to help rescue some 5,000 orphans from Romania.

In 2008, Upton signed on to create documentary short films to help solve family homelessness in the North County through the Solutions for Change program.

He created Media4aCause, an online network of films about charitable causes where many of his own films can be viewed. He often worked alongside his daughter, Elizabeth, who is also a filmmaker.

According to an online biography, his other film projects have been seen on CNN, PBS, the BBC, as well as “60 Minutes” and “Good Morning America.”

Thursday’s violence left residents of the Olivenhain neighborhood shaken. A homicide team worked the scene through the night, combing the area for evidence and serving search warrants. The rural area is lined with large custom homes and lush, landscaped yards.

Jeff Eddington, 44, described the neighborhood as “very quiet, very peaceful.”

“This is a very unusual thing to happen here,” he said.

Click here to watch the "20/20" story that exposed the horrors of the Romanian orphanage and documented Upton's rescue effort.